First Take: Game Night- there’s nothing wrong with a night of Trivial Pursuit

SYNOPSIS:

A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery.

Yes, I’m a little late reviewing this one, but still, comedy is the one genre where it’s a very difficult task to make a unique film- and Game Night is one of those rare examples of how to take a cliched premise and add something truly bold into the mix.

John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (two of the co-writers on Spider-Man Homecoming amongst other credits) direct the film ridiculously well, pacing it very nicely and turning in a very solid 1 hour 40 minute piece of work that blends action and comedy very literally, and aided by the script, this film just simply works- the film’s writer Mark Perez deserves a lot of credit here, as the film passes the 6 laugh test easily, plus, with the amount of subtle references to other films and pop culture references, this film satisfies every sort of humour you can imagine. But where this film truly excels is the cinematography, as Barry Peterson really plays on the board game aspects of the film’s plot- one particular sequence actually felt like a miniature world. Alongside Cliff Martinez’s very synth heavy score, the film just feels right for audiences nowadays.

The performances are generally very good, with Jason Bateman leading a good set of casting choices- Rachel McAdams is fantastic, Sharon Horgan is a scene stealer at times, and with Billy Magnussen, Jesse Plemons, Kyle Chandler and a group of talents full of comedic ability, this film plays to the strengths of the majority of the cast and their respective characters. This was a real surprise, as unlike most American comedy that I have to review, the humour actually works for us British viewers, and aside from a few minor plot contrivances, this is a pretty damn solid way to spend an evening at a palace of big screen entertainment.

THE VERDICT

This film is one of the most elaborate and unique comedies I have seen for years, and that is truly a good thing- Game Night is able to bring a new take to a genre that has been done thousands of times before, and while it’s not perfect, the film just did what it said on the tin. I may have seen it a little late, but it’s worth a watch on the big screen and when it’s released on DVD.

RATING: 4/5